Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-10-28
"REMINISCENCES OF PUBLIC MEN,
BY BEN pERLEY pooRE.


William A. Wheeler's wife died
Whiie he was member of the House
OF Representatives, in the April before
he was elected Vice President. That
evening some of his brother Congress-
men, with view of rousing him from
the stern silence of his grief, went in
where he sat beside her remains, and
told HIM of the exposure of Gen. Bel
KNAPP, coupled Us it universally was
with Mrs. Belknaps name. There was
long pause, in which he did not seem
70 &c, have heard what they were saying.
Then he uncovered the dear face. and
casting upon it look full of anguish,
sad: Il would rather my Mary were
lying here than for her to be that un-
happy lady" Mr.. Wheeler was o
schoolmaster while studying his pro-
LESSON: and while occupying for the
hrst time the masters desk, in q
country village in New York, little
l0-year-old maiden came tripping in as
one OF his expectant flock, and gave her
name modestly as Mary King. At
10 Mary King became Mary Wheeler,
and for thirty years they shared a
union that was infinitely sweet and
tender.
Early in the war 100 army wa CONS
were manufactured for the Govern
ment in New Hampshire, under con-
tract which provided for their delive cry
at Kingston, where they were inspected,
accepted, and sent by railroad to Perry
vile on the Susquehanna River, opposite
Havre de Grace. When they arrived
there they were again inspected by
Capt. G. e. sawtelle of tie quarter.
masters department., who refused to
accept them. or to approve the bill Of
Sl4, 100 for them. So the wagons were
packed and remained at Perryville, in
full view of the passers-by on the Phil
adelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad. In 1863 committee of the
Senate made report, recommending
that the wagons be accepted and paid
tor, and an item in an appropriation
bill for this was about to slip through
when Cakes Ames heard of it. While
on Gov. Andrews council early in the
war he had purchased army wagons,
and he knew that this lot of them were
fiimsily made, of cheap stuff, and worth
less. He at once sent to his friend
FELTON,, the President of the Philadel-
phia. Wilmington and Baltimore Rail
road, to have one of the wagons put on
platform car and sent to Washington
that night, without fail. The next
morning the wagon was in front of the
Capitol, and as the Representatives
arrived, Mr.. Ames requested them to
step out, and examine for themselves.
Need 1 add that the claim was defeated.
This was one out of many instances in
which the sterling good sense and
practical honesty of Mr.. Ames (the
father of Gov. Ames) was Of great use
to the Government during the war.
Such a man should never have been
made the scapegoat of lot of politi-
clans, who at that time were greedily
enriching themselves.
John c. Colt (who afterward per-
fected the revolving fire arms came to
Washington with his submarine tor
pedo, which he exhibited one pleasant
afternoon in the Potomac, in the pres
ence of at least fifteen or twenty thou
sand people, who thronged both shores.
At the hour appointed, salute was
fired from the Navy Yard, in compli
ment to the officers Of the Government.
etc. Presently afterward, Mr.. Colt
sent up from the center Of the river
a magnificent water-spout, or jet, which
was the signal for the commencement
of the experiments. Lieut.. Boyle then
got the ship under way, with all her
colors flying and sails set. He then
went through the ceremony of christ
ening her, and gave the appropriate
name of "The Styx." After she had
sailed some distance, and was steady in
her course up the river, and her helm
dashed, she was abandoned, and q
rocket was sent up by Lieut.. Boyle, to
notify Mr.. Colt that he might COM
mence the action. The ship was going
with the wind and tide, at the rate of
about six miles an hour. Mr.. Colt
first discharged heavy battery at some
distance ahead of the ship, and then
two more, simultaneously, at distance
near enough to her to agitate her some
what. This was done to show that the
batteries could be exploded separately
or together, and that in river or har
Dor, friendly ship would be exempted
from the destruction, while hostile
ship could be blown up very near her.
Soon afterward the water was seen
swelling under the bow of the ship,
and she was hurled with tremendous
force into the air. For some time
nothing was distinguishable, but when
the vapor had cleared away, it was
seen that the whole of the ship, as far
astern as the mizzenmast, had been
torn into small fragments. There was
not piece of the forward part of the
ship left as large as handspike. The
stern, with part of the mizzen-mast.
appeared above water. but not afoat;
it settled down into the mud. If she
had been struck amidships, there would
not have been one timber left fastened
to another. Another beautiful column
of water was then sent up ct q distance
from the ship, which closed the exhibit
ton.
The NeapOlitan.
The visitor who uses his faculties Of
observation is not long in making the
d;scovarv that the NeaDOlitan ia of